American family seeks asylum in Canada, citing Trump

A family from Illinois is anxiously awaiting a decision from a Canadian tribunal as they seek asylum north of the border, claiming that America's politics have made them feel unsafe. 

Kaitlyn and Ted Berg say they made the recent decision to uproot their children as they witnessed the fallout of November's presidential election.

"When I saw what happened, Donald Trump being elected, my gut started turning," Kaitlyn said from a hotel room in London, Ont., over the weekend. "And that is when I started looking at how to get my family out safely." 

Kaitlyn said Trump's claim early in his second term that there are only two genders was of particular concern to the family, as one of the older children is transgender, and another identifies as gender fluid. She said she pulled the children out of school one day after his inauguration, worried about their mental health.

The parents, both veterans, cited a host of other issues and situations as having also contributed to their decision to head north — everything from school shooter drills to Trump's disastrous meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

"It was very difficult to watch the news and TikTok because honestly, we were just seeing things unfold and unfold and unfold," Kaitlyn said. "And I was very scared, getting very scared."

Both parents have cited their own health issues as reasons to seek asylum as well. Kaitlyn said she has had multiple miscarriages, while Ted is diabetic.

"When [Trump] signed that executive order revoking Biden's prescription plan that put a cap on prices, my insulin went from $35 to $900 for a month," Ted said. 

Despite not having passports, the family hit the road in early March, leaving their "dream home" behind, she said.

"Of course, at the time, it would be great if we could have got our passports and all that," she said. "But like I said, we were very – we were struggling. No money to get passports and passports were backlogged several months."

Canadian border agents were upfront about the Bergs' slim chances of being granted asylum when the family arrived at the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, Ont., earlier this month, Kaitlyn said. 

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada says those seeking asylum "must prove that they have a real fear of persecution or face serious harm, such as torture or cruel treatment, in their home country or where they usually live."

Still, the family proceeded, and have been showing their journey on TikTok. They say they made their way to London, Ont., after hearing about its children's hospital — one of their children has a medical condition and they wanted to be close to care. 

After calling around for help from shelters, the family and their dog were put up for two nights at a hotel by the Children's Aid Society, Kaitlyn said.

There, the family is awaiting a final decision from the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada. 

The IRCC says the board "assesses each case individually to determine if the claimant qualifies as a Convention refugee or a person in need of Canada's protection, considering factors like persecution based on race, religion, political opinion, nationality, or membership in social groups, including LGBTQI+, as well as internal flight alternatives within their country."

"U.S. citizens may also explore Canada's immigration programs for other pathways to residency," the federal department added.

Mike Morency, executive director of the Matthew House Refugee Welcome Centre in Windsor, says the onus will be on the Bergs to prove to the Canadian government that they would not be safe anywhere in the U.S. 

"You're presumed to be safe in your home country unless you can prove that you're in need of protection," he said. "So that might be difficult at this stage in time for this family, especially because there's also a concept as far as being able to be safe elsewhere within your country. 

"So maybe they aren't safe within Illinois or Indiana, but can they be safe in California?" he said. "Can they be safe in New York? Can they be safe in a state that practices more progressive policies, or are they being actively persecuted across the whole country?"

Morency said it's not his place to judge whether the family's reasons for leaving were legitimate. 

"There are people all around the world who are in desperate situations and they will come to Canada seeking safety and a fresh start because they know that we will give them a safe and fair hearing," he said. "That doesn't mean that they'll be successful, right?

"The government of Canada is very good at verifying people's identity, identifying whether they are a security risk, validating their story, and they're only going to be approved if the Government of Canada is able to do all of those things," he added.

Ted said they aren't sure when they'll hear back about a decision, but that their case has been fast-tracked because of their U.S. citizenship.

Kaitlyn says some TikTok users have been critical and tried "to make it political. 

"But the thing is, this isn't political," she said. "This is human rights. I am fighting for my kids' human rights."

"I want a comfortable life for my kids," she said. "That's all I'm asking for, comfortable and safe."

So far, the parents say they have been happy with their reception in Canada. Ted says he likes the food better, too. 

Both have been struck by how kind people in Canada have been so far — whether it be border officials or Walmart employees. 

"They are just really nice," Kaitlyn said.